Brentford Football club’s stadium development at Lionel Road South has been given the final go ahead. Nick Boles, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Planning, has confirmed Hounslow Council’s approval of the stadium with an associated ‘enabling’ development of residential apartments.

The Club can proceed to develop the site at Lionel Road South subject to the conclusion of a Section 106 Agreement.

Campaigners against the development have said they are "disappointed" with the news but will continue their fight.

Commenting on the Planning Minister’s decision, Cliff Crown, Brentford FC Chairman, said: "Our vision of an exciting new hub at this brownfield site has taken another major step forward.

"We firmly believe this is a once in a generation chance to create a vibrant new stadium that will add to the buzz that is going on around Brentford.

"As we said this week at the annual international property event MIPIM, Brentford is on the up as a destination, with new homes, retail, sports and leisure facilities which bring new jobs and vibrancy to the area."

He added, "In planning for our new home, we look forward to building on our positive relationship with local residents and businesses and also our new neighbours in Chiswick and Kew.

"By working together we believe we can make the most of the new opportunities for the benefit of everyone.”

A spokesman for a number of residents' groups who are campaigning against the enabling development said: "We’re disappointed by the outcome but it is still necessary for the developers to get detailed planning permission for the multiple tower blocks and there is a very complicated Section 106 agreement which involves many parties, yet to be concluded. I'm confident that representations will be made by local groups when fresh applications are made."

 

He added that the developer still had to acquire all the lands it needed for development and any Compulsary Purchase Orders (CPOs would have to be sanctioned by the Secretary of State so there were a significant number of further steps before any tower blocks appeared on the site.

"The Mayor Boris Johnson has recently approved cycle safety works between Chiswick roundabout and Kew Bridge on the South Circular Road, so this will materially affect the road space for vehicles. In order to make it safer for cyclists you must further reduce the speed of the vehicles and this will increase the length of queues of cars and has the inevitable implication of further pollution for the area. The traffic and pollution issues remain unaddressed."